This is Thomas Mayer's blog about vacuum tube audio, to share updates about new amplifiers and preamplifiers and ELROG vacuum tubes.

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Sunday, September 17, 2017

News from the ELROG Tube Factory 8

We named it after the Western Electric 284 which was a molybdenum plate tube and had characteristics very close the the 845.

Like our ER242 is a molybdenum version of the ER211 with the same characteristics, the ER284 has the same parameters as the ER845.

Both the ER242 and ER284 are made with new bases from now on. The bases are black with teflon bottom. In addition all molybdenum plate tubes are wired with solid core silver wire inside the bases.

Here the ER284 besides an ER845:

As with the ER242 the molybdenum shows off an orange glow in operation:

These photos are a bit under exposed so that some detail is visible. The filament is actually brighter.

Like the ER242 the ER284 is made in limited numbers and to order. Expect some waiting time if you order these.

Please send an email to thomas -at- vinylsavor -dot- de or info -at- elrog -dot- com if you are interested in this or any other ELROG tube.

Since this summer the 211 and 845 are shipping in the new style with 'inverted' internal structures compared to the older version.

This was done to reduce the heat generated around the bases which enables the use of the tube in amplifiers with restricted air flow around the bases or which have the tubes mounted such that the bottom half is inside the chassis. As for example David Berning amplifiers.

Here is a testimonial from one of the first customers of our new version ER845:

The new production Elrog 845 (with the raised plate structure in the middle of the tube) is a transformation in my Berning 845 OTL amplifiers.

The tube is coherent and resolving from top to bottom in ways that my previous reference Psvane WE replica tubes cannot approach. The musical intent, as difficult as it is to define -- is easy to hear and emotionally 'feel". Delicate bass harmonics, changes of timbre, and subtle pressure changes on strung instruments combine to communicate a greater musical truth.

Bass is much more transparent, articulate and authoritative on my Tidal Akira loudspeakers. Imaging is palpable with increased dimensionality and air. The boundary sounds of the physical recorded venue are better outlined and apparent. You can more clearly tell what kind of space the music was recorded in.

The noise floor of the tube is discernibly lower. I clearly hear what previously was unintelligible. Transparency to the source is a revelation as is the top end extension and air. The single most important strength of these 'uber' tubes is the focus they are capable of. The analogy is a range finder camera. When you experience music thru these tubes, what you had been listening to seems slightly out of focus.

Congratulations Thomas, you have succeeded in building what I now consider the best sounding 845 ever produced. They are my new pack-in tube reference for the Berning 845 OTL amplifier.